


GREEK GOD | reddie

by luckylester



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Angst and Romance, Beep Beep Richie, Eddie Kaspbrak - Freeform, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay, I Ship It, I Will Go Down With This Ship, IT - Freeform, IT 2017 - Freeform, IT 2019, It 2, LGBT, LGBT characters, Light Angst, M/M, No Smut, Reddie, Reddie Fic, Richie Tozier - Freeform, Romance, Shipmas, idk how tags work, is it hot in here or is it just me, it doesn't smell like caca to me senior, its longer than my wang, pennywise - Freeform, shut up richie, trash mouth tozier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:47:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27771733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckylester/pseuds/luckylester
Summary: GREEK GOD!❝ richie, we're straight from mythologyyou're a living god daring to love a human. ❞✧ in which eddie kaspbrak and richie tozier fall in love after the disappearance of pennywise✧ lowercase intended✧ high school fic, eddie & richie are 18greek god | © abby 2020
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 9
Kudos: 26





	1. prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLAYLIST.
> 
> intro.  
> greek god ; conan gray
> 
> a side.  
> trade mistakes ; panic! at the disco  
> parents ; YUNGBLUD  
> fire drill ; melanie martinez  
> heather ; conan gray  
> adore you ; harry styles
> 
> b side.  
> the louvre ; lorde  
> watermelon sugar ; harry styles  
> ghost adventure spirit orb ; chloe moriondo  
> sweet tooth ; cavetown  
> april ; beach bunny
> 
> ( link to spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7C3GNeYMJ1zEvS1iCEjJmu?si=sklcUDvzSDeZ-l-l5CeScw )

they don't talk about it.

they didn't when beverly left to stay with her aunt, leaving bill behind pining after her. they didn't when stanley moved out of town or when the cuts on their hands faded into scars. they distanced themselves from each other when high school began.

they especially didn't talk when bill became quarterback for the football team, when eddie won president in student council, when ben became the secretary for the science club, or when richie started skipping school.

they never talked about it, and, worse of all, they never even talked to each other.

but at least eddie had richie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this book contains heavy themes that may intensify suicidal thoughts or mental illnesses. please skip any chapters labeled with a trigger warning if needed. the suicide prevention lifeline in the united states is 1-800-273-8225. please use self-care methods and take care of yourself while reading.


	2. o1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first chapter is a little short but i hope that you enjoy! (:

❝ _i know what you really want_  
 _a little more confidence_ ❞

eddie straightens his posture as he faces his therapist. his mother signed him up for it, of course, and the counselor would report back to her each month.

his therapist studies him. she's a tiny little thing, straight from college, and twirling a pencil around in her fingers. richie adjusts his glasses.

"so tell me about that," ms. hansen motions towards the scar on eddie's hand, which he instinctively closes.

"oh...uhh...i'm not really sure?" he tries, shrugging along with his carefully-placed words.

she doesn't buy it, not in the slightest. her eyebrow cocks, yet her pursed lips tells eddie that she won't pry. "how are the meds?" she asks.

eddie shuffles in his chair, causing the child-proof containers in his fanny pack to clank against each other. they're filled to the brim with daily pills, though he hasn't taken them in weeks. he scratches the back of his neck, contemplating if he should reveal that secret to his therapist. "they're fine! i'm practically feeling normal again." his voice cracks slightly as he speaks. he decided against it.

ms. hansen, yet again, raises one of her brows. eddie digs through his small bag for his inhaler, he's struggling to breathe through her death stare. in the process, he knocks the orange containers out of the bag and across the floor.

his therapists rises from behind her desk and goes to inspect the bottles. she picks one up dainty, studies it for a second, and then glances over at the shaking boy. "what am i going to tell your mother?" ms. hansen questions.

"shit." eddie mumbles under his breath, presses his inhaler to his lips, and then sinks down in his chair.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

"hey fuckface!" tozier calls, his backpack flying in the air as he runs towards eddie.

eddie barely acknowledges his presence. he keeps his face down, his eyes more focused on the floor rather than the glasses-wearing bimbo.

richie finally reaches him, breathing heavily. "yo kaspbrak," he tries again, yanking on the strap of eddie's backpack to get his attention.

the smaller boy rolls his eyes. "i don't wanna talk to you," he grumbles, digging though the fanny pack strapped around his waist. richie pulls eddie's inhaler out of his pocket, and presses it to his lips, mocking the brunette. 

eddie pulls his inhaler out of the taller boy's hands. "that's not how it works, dumbass!" he cries, then quickly disinfects it with a clorox wipe from his pack, "you have a brain the size of your dick."

"which makes my brain huge!" richie retorts, a smirk on his face, which causes eddie's blood to boil.

he shakes his inhaler. "haha, a dick joke, very funny," he responds sarcastically, resisting to roll his eyes yet again.

he continues down the hallway. even though school doesn't begin for another ten minutes, he wants to distance himself from the raven-haired boy for as long as possible.

richie, yet again, hurries to catch up with him. "oh c'mon, eds, you can't stay mad at me forever!" he calls.

tozier's curls flop in front of his face as he runs. eddie watches this, finding the taller-boy stumbling around quite amusing. he chuckles to himself. "i can too!"

richie adjusts his glasses on his face. he sticks out his bottom lips, and sends his best puppy-dog eyes in the direction of kasprak.

eddie's face scrunches. "oh for the love of god, leave me alone!" he groans, checking the time on his watch, "i'm going to english. try not to tell anyone while i'm not around!" his eyes narrow in the direction of the taller boy.

"tell everyone what?" richie questions, tilting his head in confusion.

eddie chews on his bottom lip, not buying the act his friend is putting up. "you know what," he growls, turning on the balls of his feet.

"how you still kiss your mom goodnight?" richie questions quite loudly, causing the few students standing around them to stare, "on the lips?"

eddie inhales sharply, before rushing towards him, "richie i could fucking kill you!!"

the taller boy laughs in return, almost enjoying how close the two are together, even if eddie's hands are around his neck.

the smaller boy pulls away, wringing his hands out. "beep beep, richie." he grumbles as he makes his way towards first period.


	3. o2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: F-SLUR

**TW: F-SLUR**

❝ _placing a smile at the perfect event_  
 _gracing your skin with the side of my hand_ ❞

"we should talk about it," richie grumbles, laying back in the bed of eddie's truck as he glances up at the dark sky.

the stars fall almost in unison, one after the other. the tall boy silently worries that they'll crash into each other, causing an explosion in the peaceful night air. but they fall, one at a time, with the same wish on his tongue each time.

how badly he wished the boy next to him would fall in love.

eddie glances over at him, furrowing his eyebrows. "talk about what?" he acts confused, but his heart drops to his stomach. he knows exactly what.

"you know...it," tozier motions with his hands, then faces eddie, wide-eyed and curious. eddie wrings out his hands and looks around nervously. "oh, eddie beaaar," richie coos, causing the smaller boy's face to turn red.

tozier pinches his cheek, and kasprak slaps it away quickly. "oh shut up, asswipe." he grumbles, though he still appears quite anxious.

eddie set his fanny pack on the passenger seat of his car a while ago, but now he stands up quickly and runs to get it. he shuffled through his multiple pill bottles, looking for one labeled in sharpie as "anxiety meds." he finds it, a little blue, oval pill which he pops in his mouth instantly.

"nervous, eddie bear?" richie snickers from the trunk, then pulls the blanket tighter around his chest. kasprak hurries to sit next to him, shivering in the cool october air of derry.

he snuggles underneath the blanket. "this isn't gay, is it?" he asks, almost shyly.

richie snorts and tucks his freezing toes beneath the quilt. "fuck yeah," he teases, though his smile quickly fades away. he's blushing now.

"shut up," eddie growls, then slinks a bit farther away from richie.

tozier adjusts the glasses on his face and clears his throat. the wind blows ever so slightly, creating a soft whistle within the leaves turned orange, red, and yellow. stars fall from the sky like petals fall from roses, and the light from the moon is just enough for richie to make out eddie's features. his heart pounds in his chest, and after staring for a second, he quickly looks away.

"what?" eddie snaps, catching richie in the act. he eyes the taller boy and raised one of his eyebrows.

richie fiddles with strings coming lose from the blanket. "nothing!" he cries in response, throwing his hands in the air and then quickly shoving them back underneath the warm blanket. 

eddie turns onto his side, facing away from richie. the taller male sighs. the cool air wraps around him, even though he is secured tightly in his quilt. he is cold, not physically, but mentally. the boy he loves is so close to him, just inches away, yet so far. too far, to the point where he can't even touch eddie without sending his heart into overdrive.

how on earth is he missing someone who is right in front of his face?

"hey eds?" richie mumbles, and the other boy hums in response, "i wasn't afraid of clowns..."

kaspbrak turns to face him, his eyes suddenly wide with curiosity.

it's in that very second that two bright lights cloud their vision. richie squints against them, only able to make out the shape of a car. he groans.

"eddie bear!" mrs. k calls loudly, turning off her engine and running towards her sweet little boy. she glances at their faces, and then scowls, "so you're with _him,"_ she hisses, as if her son being seen with his best friend was a crime.

mrs. kasprak pulls eddie out of the truck bed, and then grabs him by the ear. he's then escorted to the passenger side of the car, leaving richie with a confused look on his face.

eddie taps his fingers onto the side of his thigh. his fanny pack bounces up and down with the rumble of the car as they drive away.

"i thought i told you never to hang out with that boy again," his mom spits, swerving in the road, as there are no other cars to be seen.

eddie grumbles an "i know" in response. he rests his head on his fist, watching the trees pass by in a blur outside of the car window.

rain is just beginning to start, causing little speckles of water to trickle their way down the car window. eddie almost cries along with the sky, yet he keeps himself composed.

his mom huffs loudly. "i raised you not to be gay. you're not gay, eddie," she says with a hint of poison in her voice.

yet again, the small boy agrees with her in a quiet voice.

"if i see you with that boy again, both of you will be six feet underground. i raised you not to be around a faggot like him," his mom continues, pounding her fists on her steering wheel as she speaks.

eddie's blood boils, "don't call him that!" he cries, turning to face his mother with cheeks turned red.

"oh eddie bear, i'm just calling him what he is," she responds half-heartedly, still sounding angry underneath her honey-sweet tone.

eddie wipes his cheeks. "he's not a-" he pauses, not wanting to utter the word she just used against his best friend, his best friend that he wished was more, "he's not that. and neither am i."

his mother purses her lips and clicks her tongue, obviously disagreeing with him.

they stop at a red light. their silence fills the car, the only sound to be heard being rain drops falling on the roof. "let me out, i'll walk home," eddie orders, and before he can earn a response, he opens his door and walks out into the road.

he's shivering, he should have grabbed his jacket resting in the bed of his truck before leaving. the rain is loud enough to muffle his quiet sobs, so that he's left in the darkness of night, standing in the middle of the road, taking constant inhales from his inhaler, and crying.

he wanted richie to be with him.


	4. o3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: slight smut (hints at sex)

❝ _my daddy put a gun to my head_  
 _said if you kiss a boy i'm gonna shoot you dead_ ❞

eddie appeared at richie's house later that night, at around 1:30 am. he entered the bedroom from the window, and then stumbled inside, klutzy as ever. he fidgets around with the flashlight in his hand and then turned the light on.

"what the fuck dude?" richie growls, squinting against the flashlight. without even thinking, he jumps out of bed, and grabs the bat sitting on the floor next to his bed, "who the fuck are you?"

eddie hesitates, "it's me," he responds quietly, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. 

richie shrugs, "oh, alright." he sets the bat down quietly, as to not cause much commotion in the house. it's not like his parents are aware enough to care, they spend most of their nights away at bars, just like they were doing tonight. richie clears his throat, "what are you doing here?"

"got in a fight with my mom," he grumbles. eddie fiddles with his fingers, his face flushes. he chuckles nervously and scratches the back of his neck. he reaches down to dig into his fanny pack, but then realizes he must have left it in his mom's car. "we should uh, kiss?" eddie squeaks, his voice raising and octave.

richie cocks an eyebrow, but his cheeks are burning. "eddie what?" he mumbles. he feels as if he is dreaming, this has to be a dream.

"we should kiss," eddie responds, more sure of himself now, though his voice still quivers ever so slightly.

richie sits down on his bed and fumbles for his glasses on his bedside table. he slides them on and adjusts the frames so they sit correctly on his nose. "are you sure you're not just saying this because of the fight with your mom? she called you gay again, didn't she?" richie figures, because he doesn't truly believe that eddie thought of him as anything more than a friend, "that fucking bitch," he adds under his breath.

eddie's gaze drops to the floor, his flashlight clicks off. "i'm sure, this has nothing to do with her," he lies through his teeth, which both boys pick up on.

"eddie you're wet," richie chuckles. the brunette sends the other boy a glare. his clothes are dripping from the rain.

he takes off his shirt. "problem solved," he responds, resisting the urge to cover himself up. he's insecure, but would never let richie see that.

"mm, not quite." richie wiggles his eyebrows as he looks down at the blue jeans the boy is wearing.

eddie sighs, "those are for later," he giggles softly. richie is taken aback by this comment, his mouth dropping slightly, his face flushing a strawberry red, which only causes eddie to laugh more.

the smaller boy makes his way over to richie's bed and sits down next to him. richie keeps reaching up to fix his glasses, a nervous tick. their hands intertwine, causing a chill to run up his spine. he feels like he's drowning, he's so out of breath that he's light-headed as he stares at eddie.

their lips collide quickly, something so sweet, but also something so bitter. richie knows that this interaction means nothing, that no matter what happens, it will mean _nothing._

so why does he continue with it?

eddie is the one to pull away, a smile tugging away at the corners of his lips. without even thinking, richie leans in for another kiss, this one with more force.

there's longing behind their tongues as they continue to make out, neither one of them wants to pull away, except when they're gasping for air, coming to the surface after plunging into the ocean.

richie pushes eddie onto his bed, only daring to break apart for a second, before sliding on top of him. eddie runs his fingers through the curls in richie's hair, tugging ever so gently on them, allowing little noises to come from the taller boy's mouth.

they don't stop until they're exhausted, and the clock reads 3:45 am. richie has fallen asleep at this point, he was lying on eddie's chest until he dozed off.

the smaller boy gently crawls out of bed and quickly puts his clothes back on. he feels a ping of guilt in his chest, knowing that he only did that to spite his mother, even if butterflies erupted the second their lips met for the first time.

he sighs heavily, then glances over at the sleeping boy, who still has his glasses on. eddie removes them carefully, then sets them on his bedside table. the moonlight streams through richie's open window, causing a beautiful glare to rest across his face.

eddie's heart swells, he's fairly sure that it's only because he had done the only rebellious thing in his life, yet the corners of his cheeks turn up as he stares at the curly-haired boy.

he shakes his head violently. it's still raining outside, it pitterpaters against the metal roof. the freezing air rushes to surround eddie as he opens the window. he clenches his teeth and prepares for a cold walk home.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

mrs. k is sitting in the living room, rocking back and forth in her chair. she perks up at the sound of eddie entering, a mean stare plastered on her face. "where have you been?" she screams, standing out of her chair quickly, "and what the hell are those bruises on your neck?"

eddie quickly places his hand over the purple and red marks that richie left on him. "i tripped and fell onto some rocks-" he lies quickly, starting to freak out.

his mother clicks her tongue. "that's it, i don't want you out for the rest of this week. you go to school and come right home, you understand me young man?" she bellows, causing eddie to wince at the loud noise.

"yes mommy," he responds. mrs. k embraces him in a tight hug, one that he doesn't return.

she sighs, "the woods are too dangerous for a small boy like you," she reminds him. she hands him his fanny pack, complete with his inhaler.

he runs upstairs to the bathroom. there are easily five hickeys on his neck, ones that he desperately tries to cover with some of his mother's makeup. his face turns pink as he remembers richie and all of the things they did together.

eddie's breath catches in his throat. he quickly inhales a couple of breaths from his inhaler, his hands shaking as he does so.

he's always known that he found boys attractive, but he didn't know it was to this extent. he didn't even consider the possibility that he could be gay.

but there's no way that he is.


	5. o4.

**TW: F-SLUR**

❝ _if i'm honest with you_  
 _you just run and hide_ ❞

richie arrives to class, late, per usual. the bell rung a minute ago, yet here he is, rushing through the door leading to biology. he adjusts his glasses, runs a finger through his tousled hair, and scans the class for eddie.

"late again, tozier?" the teacher calls, taking a peek through her librarian-type glasses, clicking her tongue at the boy.

"guess so," he shrugs, then notices a brown-haired girl sitting next to eddie, who's hands are covering the side of his neck. he inhales sharply. that's the girl who's been eyeing eddie for a week now.

instead of freaking the fuck out, he makes his way across the classroom to an empty seat next to bill. they grumbled a couple of polite "hellos" and "how are yous" before falling into complete silence.

it's wednesday, which each student knows, is lab day.

bill glances over at richie, raising an eyebrow. "wanna be p-partners?" he stutters, his cheeks flushing with frustration as he does so.

richie shrugs. "guess i don't have any other choice," he grumbles. the two aren't friends, they're hardly even acquaintances anymore. they never bounced back from the fight they had a few summers ago.

they start their lab, muttering things to each other only when needed. bill is giving richie the cold shoulder.

richie glances back at eddie, who's hands shuffle ever so slightly, allowing him to catch a glimpse of the mess he made all over the brunette's neck. his face burns.

the girl sitting next to eddie is eyeing him, biting down on her bottom lip as she speaks quietly to him. richie can feel his blood boil, noticing how eddie repeats the same motions back.

"fuck this," richie grumbles, pushing the lab equipment aside.

he makes his way over to the lab table that eddie & the brunette girl who's sitting next to him...no, at this point, she's practically on his lap.

he slams his hands on the table, taking short glances at both of them. "what's up fuckface? who's this?" he calls, sending daggers in the direction of the girl.

eddie glances down at the table, appearing to look ashamed of himself. "this is greta," he introduces, and the girl waved politely.

"well nice to fucking meet you greta-" he says, holding his hand out. when she reaches for it, he quickly pulls away, "haha sike! fuck you!" his middle fingers are raised in the air.

"richie," eddie growls under his breath.

richie chuckles, "are you sure you wanna hang out with this loser?" he asks, daring to raise an eyebrow. she perks up, he can tell that she's listening closely, "dude still kisses his mom goodnight."

greta's chair scrapes across the floor as she moves away from eddie. the smaller boy glances up at the taller, "fuck you dude."

richie, though he isn't satisfied with himself, he is glad that he got that little bitch to piss off. "did i mention it was on the lips?" he yells on his way back to his desk.

∘₊✧──────✧₊

eddie catches up with richie after class. his backpack bounces up and down as he runs towards one of the tallest boys in the hallway, and gets his attention by grabbing his hand.

richie looks down at the small boy, his cheeks burning a strawberry red. he quickly pulls his hand away, not wanting to be seen by bowers or anyone else.

"what the hell was that?" eddie seethes. he hangs on to the strings of richie's backpack so he doesn't get lost in the crowd of students.

the taller boy adjusts the glasses on his nose before playing dumb, "what was what?" he asks dumbly, batting his eyelashes down at eddie.

the smaller boy shakes his head. "you know exactly what," he snarls.

"you're cute when you're mad, eds," richie points out, earning a blush from eddie. he covers his cheeks in an attempt to hide it, which only reveals the hickeys on his neck. "those look cute on you too," he motions to the purple and red marks dotted across his pale skin.

"for fucks sake, stop it richie," he sighs heavily, his fingertips resting across his neck once again. his breath catches in his throat, "i'm not-" his voice drops to a whisper, "gay"

richie comes to a full stop, he looks at the smaller boy, tilting his head ever so slightly in confusion. he laughs loudly. "oh, eddie baby, keep telling yourself that," he giggles, then continues down the hallway.

"come on richie, i'm not, i'm serious! i have a thing for greta and you ruined it," he tries to convince the taller boy, though eddie doesn't know if he believes himself.

richie's expression falls, he stares at his shoes. "she looks like a fucking frog, dumbass. if you kiss her she isn't going to turn into a fucking princess, she'll still be ugly," he responds defensively, though his heart sinks in his chest.

eddie sighs and rolls his eyes. "whatever rich," he crosses his arms around his chest.

they're around the corner from english when henry bowers and his minions appear in front of them. eddie releases his grasp from richie's backpack quickly and shoves his arms behind his back.

"oh look, it's the local faggots," bowers cooes, waving his hands in the air as he spoke. the edges of a knife show through the arms of his sweatshirt. eddie backs up, falling behind the taller male, who knows how to deal with bowers and his band of asses.

richie furrows his brows, feeling eddie's body warmth radiating from behind him. his face flushes. "go back to kissing your dad's feet, bowers. we all know you're the real fag around here," he calls back, a growl in the back of his throat.

bowers chuckles, quickly taking his knife out of hiding. "what is it, eddie? need your big, bad boyfriend to protect you?" he asks mockingly, approaching the two boys quickly. richie stands his ground, but eddie is quivering and taking inhales from his inhaler.

"fuck off, bowers," richie warns, raising his fists up defensively.

a laugh rises from the older boy's lips. he flicks his knife open, so his blade is facing directly at richie's throat, "or what?"

richie bites his bottom lip. his hands fall to the side. the bell rings, which means that the younger boys are late to class. "we'll finish this after school, you and me, basketball course. i'll fuck you up," richie threatens, to which the older boy agrees.


	6. o5.

❝ _but you like her better_  
 _i wish i were heather_ ❞

"you don't have to do this, richie," eddie calls from behind the taller boy. he takes a couple of breaths from his inhaler, his small legs struggling to keep up with the other boy.

richie scoffs, "i do, actually, i'm sick of people making fun of you- of me!" he cried, throwing his hands in the air angrily.

kaspbrak thinks for a second before responding, "he's going to beat the shit out of you, dumbass," he crosses his arms over his chest, yet he continues to follow.

tozier spins around, and eddie almost runs into his chest in the process. richie grabs his forehead and shoves him away, "not if i beat the shit out of him first," he cocks an eyebrow, a smirk crawls across his lips.

they arrive at the basketball court. richie chews on his bottom lip as he scans the area for bowers. the brunette is trembling slightly, his knuckles turn white as he grips tightly onto his inhaler. "let's just go, rich," he begs, pulling on tozier's arm in attempts to drag him away.

the taller boy checks his watch. "he's late," he growls, then spits on the ground, "pussy."

richie lets eddie drag him away, struggling ever-so-slightly, but also grinning softly. "what, are you trying to hold my hand kaspbrak?" he teases, causing the brunette to let go quickly.

"i'm not gay," eddie defends himself quickly, though he's blushing madly. he rubs his hands on his face.

richie practically laughs out loud, "that's not what you said when your lips were around my wong last night." the corners of his mouth tug upwards. the smaller boy shoves his elbow into the taller boy's side, "i'm so gay for you, richie," he mocks in a high voice, then cackles.

eddie steps away from richie quickly, the space between them becoming miles instead of inches. "i'll catch you later, rich," he says gently, his eyebrows furrowing as he glances back at his friend. he turns away quickly.

he's gone before richie can even say goodbye, lacing his fingers with the girl from biology, who's name he can't even remember. he kicks a rock at his feet and shoves his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. his stomach churned. he was so, incredibly jealous.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

a banging noise wakes richie up from his sleep. he squints against the moonlight streaming through his window. he rolls over, "eds?" he asks to the darkness, noticing a figure standing in the back of his room, hidden by the moonlight.

he receives no response and sits up, then places his glasses crookedly on his face. "eddie bearrr," he tries again, dragging out his words, trying to hide the laughter in his voice.

"oh, richie," a high-pitched, shrill voice mocks.

a chill goes down richie's spine. his muscles tense, and the hair on the back of his neck rises up. "this isn't funny, kaspbrak," he growls.

the voice laughs, a sound all too familiar. richie squeezes his eyes shut. "i love you, richie," the clown mocks, his teeth showing as drool drips down his lips.

"get the fuck out of my head, i'm not scared of you," richie tries, faking confidence. the dreams of pennywise don't stop, they occur nearly every night. he's afraid to even close his eyes, worried that he'll hear the clown's voice, see the bright orange eyes, or feel his heart begin to race.

he's shaking at this point, as pennywise makes his way over to the edge of his bed. his hands quiver so badly that he places them on the side of his head.

"richie?" another voice calls. he opens his eyes and they dart around the room, searching for the very thing he was most afraid of. he sighs heavily.

"are you okay?" eddie asks, curling up next to the taller boy.

richie nearly shoves him off in anger, yet he resists, happy to have someone next to him as a form of comfort. "no," he scoffs, crossing his arms around his chest, "what the hell was that today?"

kaspbrak furrows his brows. "what do you mean?" he says, confused, though richie can see right through it.

"that girl, from biology," he reminds in a nasally tone. he's unable to hide his jealousy.

eddie exhales heavily. "she's kinda my girlfriend, i'm not gay, you know," the shorter male lies, his cheeks flushing.

richie snorts, "no, you're obviously not. us cuddling right now is completely hetero," he shoves eddie off of him, "dickface."

the smaller boy glares at him, "fine, i'll just go then," he growls, pulling richie's sweatshirt that was lying on the ground over his head.

"hey that's mine!" the raven-haired boy calls, grabbing eddie into a hug and trying to yank the sweatshirt off of him.

the brunette giggles madly as richie swings him around, attempting to get his hoodie back. "fuck you," tozier growls, stopping to hold eddie close to his chest, breathing in the smell of his shampoo.

"you're so fucking gay," richie teases, before planting a soft kiss on eddie's forehead.


	7. o6.

**TW: HINTS AT SEXUAL ASSAULT**

❝ _i walk through fire for you_  
 _just let me adore you_ ❞

eddie's head is resting against richie's chest. he wraps his arms tightly around his torso. their hearts beat in unison, and their breathing is identical.

"you never told me what you're afraid of, rich," eddie reminds the taller boy, moving his head ever-so-slightly so he can glance up at him.

richie exhales slowly. "it's not important anymore," he brushes it off, though his face burns a bright strawberry red.

the corners of eddie's mouth raise slightly. "of course it is! i care about what you think!" he exclaims. he nuzzles his head into richie's neck, then plants a few kisses on his neck.

"stop that," the raven-haired boy slaps eddie's forehead jokingly, shoving him away.

the brunette's lower lip pops out. "please richie?" he asks, dragging out the vowels.

richie rolls his eyes. "i'm fucking gay, dude. that's what i'm scared of, you fuckface," he says, inhaling sharply.

eddie flinches at the harshness of his words and pulls away from the other boy. "sorry," he grumbles, grabbing his fanny pack off of the dresser next to him.

"eds, wait. i'm sorry," richie calls. the brunette doesn't respond for a minute. he grabs richie's glasses from off of his head and sets them gently on the taller male's face. he pushes them up for him.

eddie plants a soft kiss on richie's cheek. "i have to go see my girlfriend," he mumbles, his tone dry. he retreats back into richie's arms. tozier's long fingers play with his brunette hair, while the smaller boy messes with the silver chain around his neck.

"okay, then go," richie says with faux sadness. he knows that eddie wants to be with him. he can feel kaspbrak's heart pounding furiously against his chest.

"mmm, maybe i will..." eddie draws out, giggling softly. richie pulls him in closer, attacking each inch of his face with light kisses.

richie groans. "no, you're staying here with me!" he exclaims. the smaller male pretends to struggle against him, but richie only holds him tighter. eddie stills.

richie leaves little love marks against eddie's neck, and pulls down the the collar of his hoodie that the brunette stole in order to leave hues of purple and red across his chest. "richie stop," eddie whines, nearly out of breath. he shoves richie away.

"you're no fun eddie bear," richie mumbles, pouting slightly. eddie chuckle and turns around to leave a few marks on richie. "you kinky fuck," he teases.

"shut the fuck up tozier," eddie responds simply, trying to hold back laughter. they fall quiet.

the raven-haired boy places his lips gently against eddie's head. his hair is knotted and tangled, presumably because of the bike ride over. it smells like peppermint sticks and tea tree oil. eddie drowns in richie's large hoodie; his hands are engulfed in the sleeves and the fabric falls just above his kneecaps.

"you're so handsome," richie whispers into the darkness. eddie has already fallen asleep and he is snoring softly. "i love you," he sighs.

eddie wakes up about an hour later. richie is nearly suffocating him, and his mouth is dangling open. eddie glances up at him, then carefully removes his glasses for him and sets them on the bedside table. he has to pry the taller boy's arms off of him in order to slide away. he throws his shoes on and makes his way to the window.

he looks back at richie, his eyebrows furrowing. it's freezing outside, and the taller boy is so incredibly warm. he tiptoes across the room and pecks tozier's upper lip quickly before retreating out to the cold.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

greta is pissed off when eddie finally crawls into her room. "i've been waiting for you all night," she hisses. she's wearing one of eddie's shirts, one that he gave her yesterday.

"i'm sorry, i fell asleep," he tells the half-truth. he glances over at her clock, the red numbers reading _3:45._

she clicks her tongue. "whatever, let's just do this," she grumbles and rolls her eyes.

eddie's stomach churns as he watches her remover her clothes, and he quickly looks away. he studies the floor intensely. she walks over to him slowly. he watches her feet slide across the carpet.

she grabs his chin and forces it up at her face. "something wrong, babe?" she asks, staring directly into his honey-toned irises. he wants to sink away from her hand. she forces a kiss on his lips.

eddie stares forward. he feels as if he's going to be sick. he doesn't like how she makes him feel, he doesn't like her hands or how she kisses him, he doesn't like how cold she is as she presses her body against his.

he doesn't get goosebumps as she rests her long fingers against his cheek. he pulls away, hyperventilating with his thoughts racing. greta doesn't remind him of richie at all, she's cold and harsh.

"i can't do this," the words fly out of eddie's mouth before he can even think about them. he runs his hand over his waist, desperately searching for his fanny pack, and then remembering he left it at richie's house.

she cocks an eyebrow. "yes, you can, and you will," she growls sternly. she grabs his wrist, digging her nails forcefully into his skin. he struggles under her grasp and whimpers slightly. "shut up," she demands.

she studies his face. her gaze lands on the purple and green hues on his neck. "you're cheating on me?" she shouts before throwing her hand across his face, "fucking whore."

eddie uses this time to crawl out of her window, and then hops on his bike. without even realizing it, he's peddling in the direction of richie's house.

breathing heavily, he climbs into richie's room and quickly cuddles up against his arms. he grabs his inhaler out of his fanny pack and pops some blue pills in his mouth. "are you okay baby?" richie asks, drawn from his sleep.

eddie blushes furiously at the nickname. richie wraps his arms around him and gently kisses his cheek. "now i am."


	8. o7.

**TW:** PHYSICAL ABUSE, SLIGHT SMUT

❝ _blow all my friendships_  
 _to sit in hell with you_ ❞

"let's hang out today," richie's arm wraps around eddie's shoulders and he pulls the brunette close just to flick his forehead. he holds a red monster in his hand, and a few splashes land on eddie's cheeks.

"that's disgusting," the smaller boy says as he wipes his face. "you're going to get liver cancer."

richie takes a long sip of his drink. "i don't care. do you want to hang out today?" he tried again, letting go of eddie to ruffle his stray curls out of his face.

kaspbrak watches him intently, his face suddenly becoming warm as he notices the purple marks that crawl on his neck. the corners of his lips crawl upwards.

"i really should hang out with my girlfriend..." eddie trails off, knowing that she's going to be absolutely pissed at him. yet he doesn't know if he cares.

"yet again, i don't care dumbass. let's hang out," tozier nearly shouts, tugging lightly on the straps on eddie's backpack as they walk down the hallways of the school.

"oh..." eddie suddenly realizes and wiggles his eyebrows at richie, "like, _hang out_?"

the taller boy shoves him away. "no, you kinky fuck! i just wanna spend time with you, _bro_ ," richie teases the smaller boy, knowing damn well what's on his mind.

he can't stop thinking about eddie's skin, and the thought of it causes his legs to tremble. he feels like he needs to sit down as he imagines eddie's hands in places they don't belong. he fumbles with the fabric of his jeans.

kaspbrak blushes, noticing the simple motion of richie hiding his bulge. "sorry rich," he suddenly grows quiet, his tone decreasing in volume.

"you shouldn't be thinking about things like this when you have a girlfriend, eddie bear," richie points out jokingly, yet under his breath he adds, "and neither should i."

eddie stares at his shoes. the bell echoes in the distance, but the sound is foggy in his head. "yeah, sure we can hang out," he responds half-heartedly.

"okay, sewers at three, don't forget!" richie cries as he runs towards class. his voice is drowned out among eddies thoughts.

maybe he is fucking gay.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

richie waits for eddie at the sewers. he sits on the bank next to the grey water, picking at the grass beneath his feet. he checks his watch. "fuck," he whispers. eddie is fifteen minutes late.

the brunette finally appears, though he's very late, richie is more than excited to see him. "what took so long?" he squints against the sunlight.

eddie's eye is covered with purple and brown bruises and a cut runs through his lip. "nothing," he mumbles in response, though he looks terrified. he plops down on the grass, his eyes glossing over.

"oh no eds what happened?" richie immediately falls on the ground next to him, caressing the side of eddie's face that isn't fucked up.

the brunette shakes his head. "fucking bowers," he responds, flinching at richie's touch. the taller male pulls his fingers away.

"i swear to fucking god i'll kill them," the curly-haired boy growls, balling his hands into fists so tight his knuckles turn white. he places a gentle kiss on eddie's forehead. "no one will ever hurt you again, okay?"

eddie glanced up at him with furrowed eyebrows. "richie, no. is everything alright?" he questions gently, setting his hand on richie's arm.

"yes everything is completely fine, eds. let's get you patched up, yeah?" richie responds in a hushed voice, grabbing on tightly to eddie's wrist to drag him over to his backpack.

he uses the water left in his bottle to wash the dried blood off of eddie's lips. he digs through the brunette's fanny pack to find some bandages and alcohol.

he places a small, butterfly-printed bandaid on a cut dripping down eddie's cheek, kissing the spot after. he's gentle with eddie, who is still unsure of richie's hands on him, and flinches whenever he moves too quickly.

"you're okay, baby," the taller boy finally says after thinking the nickname over, earning a blush from eddie. the brunette pouts his lips, asking for a kiss. "i don't want to hurt you more than you already are."

the smaller boy frowns before laying his head in the taller boy's lap. richie plays with his hair softly, running his fingers through the multiple knots.

"you sure you're not gay?" tozier finally says after they sit in silence for a few moments.

eddie sighs heavily. he messes with richie's hands and then places a kiss on the back of them. "no, i'm not gay."

richie snorts. "then what are we doing here?" his mood changes instantly. he pushes eddie's head out of his lap.

"i-" eddie begins, but chokes on his words.

the taller boy scoffs and stands up. "yeah, that's what i thought. you just did this to get back at your mom, didn't you?" he spits, his voice shaking as he speaks.

"no richie, that's not true at all," the smaller boy lies through his teeth easily.

"bullshit," richie is trembling, "fucking bullshit." he slings his backpack over his shoulder.

"okay, okay, wait," eddie pleads, trying to get up on his feet, but almost stumbling in the process. "that's what it was the first night, but i kept coming back."

richie's head bobs back and forth. his cheeks are flushed as he flings around to face eddie, his finger lingering in the air. "bullshit and you know it. you hate your mother and you'd do anything to get back at her," he pauses to swallow the lump in his throat, "even date a boy."

the brunette goes crashing back down to the floor. "i swear richie, i'm being honest with you." he continues on.

richie's vision goes blurry. he blinks furiously. "i don't believe you." he retorts, crossing his arms around his chest firmly.

the brunette sits up slowly, his head pounding from the trauma. "i don't know, what to say rich." he stops to take in a deep breath, "but i like you, i really like you. i know that," he admits slowly, thinking over his words carefully.

"do you know how it makes me feel?" richie cries, slamming the palm of his hand on his chest a few times, "to know that you only slept with me to get back at your mom?"

"it was only once," eddie whimpers in response. he hides his face in his hands.

richie lets out a heavy sigh. he wipes his cheeks furiously. "it fucking hurts, eddie. i thought you actually liked me."

"and i do!" eddie calls back immediately, yet his voice drops to a whisper, "now."

"yeah, exactly. now." richie deadpans. he drops to the ground and pulls his knees to his chest.

eddie slides closer to him. "think of it this way," their eyes meet, "you were so good at dicking me down that i fell head over heels for you."

the taller boy's face softens and he resists a laugh. "i still don't believe you." he grumbles, though he takes a few steps closer to eddie.

"well, maybe i can prove it to you," eddie giggles softly. this feels cliche to him, but he's smiling widely.

richie bends down to his level, his hands shoved in his pockets. eddie reaches his hand up to place a gentle kiss on his lips, one that quickly becomes alive with chemistry.

the taller boy falls on top of eddie, his stray curls brushing the side of his face. he bites on eddie's lower lip, earning a soft moan in response.

richie fumbles with the buttons on eddie's jeans, but the brunette easily removes tozier's sweatpants.

"fuck, rich, what if someone sees us," eddie says between gasps for air.

richie reaches for eddies neck, wrapping his fingers tightly around it. "no one will, i promise babyboy."

eddie only lets out a gentle moan in response.


	9. o8.

**TW: GORE, BLOOD, MURDER**

❝ _strawberries on a_  
 _summer evening_ ❞

it's dark by the time the two boys leave the lake. they part ways after sharing a long kiss. richie has to resist slipping out an _i love you_ as he notices how perfectly eddie's eyes are.

he sprints home. he fucking _hates_ the dark. his backpack flies behind him as he finally makes it inside.

with freezing fingers and red knuckles, he digs through the drawers of his kitchen. upon finding what he's looking for, he shoves it up his sleeve.

he's only a quick bike ride away from his destination.

"hey bowers," richie coos, walking towards the other male slowly, his hips swinging.

bowers jumps up. "the fuck you want, pussy?" he shouts out. his hands are balled into fists at his side.

richie chuckles. he narrows his eyes as his hair flops into his face. a smirk appears on his lips. "i know you hurt eddie," he growls, the space between the two of them disappearing into almost nothing.

richie is easily a couple of inches taller than him. "yeah, what about it?" henry says. he squares up.

"i just want to make sure that it never happens again," the taller boy mumbles, suddenly pulling a long, thin knife from underneath his sleeve.

henry laughs. "i got one of those too," he reminds richie, revealing his own from the back pocket of his cargo pants.

richie jabs the knife into his shoulder blade and pulls it out quickly. bowers' shirt quickly becomes dark with his blood. tozier wipes a splash of red off of his forehead before continuing.

henry manages to cut the skin on richie's shoulder. he seethes momentarily at the pain before pushing the shorter male onto the ground. he stands over him. "any last words?" richie mocks.

"w-wait, i don't w-want to d-die," henry sputters, holding his hands up defensively and squeezing his eyes shut.

"see that's the thing, bowers," richie spits out. the knife is now dangling dangerously close to bowers' neck, "death is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity"

he slices away at henry's carotid artery, earning a fountain of blood shooting out in response. his hands are dripping with the metallic liquid and the smell clings to his black shirt.

the sounds of the shorter boy screaming are enough to make richie's lips twist upwards into a wide grin.

with dirty hands, he struggled to tear a piece of the fabric off of his shirt. he ties the makeshift bandage over his gaping wound.

looking over at the dead body next to him, he disappears into the cool, night air of derry.

richie supposes that he is just as bad as the fucking dancing clown.

now it's richie who climbs into eddie's window. he sneaks past mrs. k as he crawls through the front lawn.

he grabs on tightly to eddie's face after he shakes him awake. "what's going on?" the brunette asks in a husky voice.

"i love you," richie lets the words leave his mouth with ease. eddie is staring up at him, wide-eyed, "i've loved you for years, since we were like, 13," his sticky fingers are resting gently on eddie's soft cheeks.

eddie reached up to kiss him quickly. "what's going on?" he says again, rubbing a spot of dried blood off of richie's forehead.

"i love you," richie nearly whispers, repeating himself desperately. a drop of water falls onto eddie's nose.

the younger boy thinks richie's words over. he uses his thumbs to dry the space underneath richie's eyes. he almost regrets the phrase as soon as he speaks it: "i love you too, rich."


	10. o9.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: F-SLUR, HINTS AT MURDER, KNIFE USE

❝ _as above so below_  
 _i'm my own damn spirit orb_ ❞

richie wakes up next to eddie in the morning, to the sound of his mother banging on the bedroom door. a number of swear words escape his lips in a whisper before he darts underneath eddie's bed.

"time for school, eddiebear," she barges in the room. richie watches her slippers move across the bedroom floor. she shakes the small boy awake. the sound of her hand slapping against eddie's face echoes in the room. richie throws his hand over his mouth.

she leaves the room in a hurry, slamming the door behind her as she leaves.   
eddie is still half asleep. he sits straight up in his bed, rubbing his face tenderly. "are you okay?" the taller boy hisses, appearing next to him. he sees red.

"i'm okay," he mumbles, though his eyes are glistening in the sunlight that streams through his window.

richie wraps his arms around him. "how long has this been going on for?" he asks. his eyebrows are furrowed. he places a soft kiss against eddie's forehead, who is trembling in his grasp.

"you smell weird," eddie grumbles, ignoring the question completely. richie adjusts his glasses on his face. "what's on your clothes?"

richie can't think of a lie. he pulls away, his lips pursed. "i-" he starts, beginning to stutter, "i'm not exactly sure."

eddie doesn't believe him, yet he doesn't say anything. he crawls out of bed, almost reluctantly, and begins throwing clothes out of his closet. "i don't have anything that will fit you..." he trails off, looking up and down richie's frame.

"you still have my hoodie, right?" he reminds eddie. the brunette pulls it over his head, inhaling the smell deeply before throwing it at him. richie ducks, "thanks fuckface."

"you're welcome, bitchass," eddie responds, bickering with him like usual. their interaction feels normal, yet eddie's stomach is doing cartwheels.

richie is staring at his bare chest, and eddie stirs underneath his glare. "what're you looking at?" eddie growls, a grin forming on his soft features.

the taller boy makes his way over to eddie. he grabs him tightly, "you're so handsome," he whispers. eddie's face flushes. they share a long kiss, one that makes them fall back into bed. the smaller boy wraps his legs around richie's waist. his hands pull gently at the other boy's curls.

"we have to go to school," eddie utters, completely out of breath. richie blows a raspberry in eddie's neck, causing the smaller boy to giggle loudly. "come on, rich," he tries again, pushing the other boy away.

"ten more minutes, please baby?" richie says in a husky voice before planting another kiss on eddie's lips.

his face feels like it's on fire. the nickname causes his chest to feel warm. "no, come on. my mom will find us," eddie begs. he pulls richie's glasses off of his face and rubs the dried blood off the lenses. he rolls out of richie's arms to throw on a shirt. "can i drive you to school? my mom's gonna let me take the car today."

"nah, i'm gonna skip today," richie says matter-of-factly, "but i'll see you after? you can pick me up?"

eddie rolls his eyes. "you have to go to school, rich," he demands, grabbing tightly onto richie's wrists to pull him out of bed, "besides, i have a student council meeting after school."

"okay, mr. president, you can pick me up after," he teases in response, pecking eddie's cheek quickly. the brunette wipes the spot quickly.

the smaller boy sighs heavily. "okay, whatever you say. i'll see you later, rich," eddie's fingers linger on his doorknob.

"i love you, baby," richie mutters quietly, the corners of his mouth turning upwards, "don't forget that, okay?"

eddie's lips draw into a line. "mhm, you too," he quickly sputters out before exiting the room.

richie reaches into the bedside cabinet, his hands slowly wrapping around a cool metal handle. he holds the object out in front of him, quietly marveling at it. his features brighten quickly.

he drags the tip across the wood of the drawer, leaving a clean cut. he stands up and almost robotically makes his way of out eddie's bedroom.

he drags the knife across the walls, creating a loud scrapping sound across the house.

"someone there?" mrs. kaspbrak calls in her southern drawl.

richie's laughter bounces on the walls. "oh, just the faggot your _boy_ always hangs out with," he mocks in a high-pitched tone.

he finds himself in the living room, staring at eddie's mother. she looks at him from above her reading glasses. "what do you want, richie?" she deadpans, though her fingers shake as she flips to the next page of a book.

"i don't want you to hurt eddie anymore," he answers simply, his eyes growing wide. upon earning no response, he draws the knife from his back, "and i can promise it will never happen again."


	11. 1o.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: BLOOD, DEATH

**TW: BLOOD, DEATH**

❝ _feeling sick of myself_  
 _think i'll try to be someone else_ ❞

eddie doesn't go home before picking up richie. he has an awful feeling in his stomach as he pulls up to the house.

richie is more than happy when he slams the door shut to eddie's mom's car. he greets the smaller boy with a peck on the cheek.

"you smell good," eddie giggles, getting a whiff of his shampoo, "how was your 'day off?'" he makes quotation marks with his finger.

"absolutely fucking wonderful," richie responds, grinning widely, "how was your student council meeting, mr. president?" he's mocking the smaller boy, who shuffles uncomfortably.

eddie clears his throat. "it was fine," he says half-heartedly. if he's being honest, he fucking _hates_ student council.

richie brings his hand up to eddie's face. he uses his thumb to stroke the brunette's cheek gently. "i got you something," he whispers.

he pulls out a red, sparkly gift bag from his backpack. the tissue paper is rolled into balls on top instead of neatly spread out.

"wow, the packaging is beautiful," eddie teases.

richie scoffs, "shut up fuckface and open it!" the taller boy is incredibly excited. he holds his laced fingers close to his chest.

eddie pulls the objects out one by one, each one smelling like the boy next to him. another one of richie's hoodies to compensate for the one taken back, a bottle of black nail polish, a stuffed teddy bear, and a couple of snacks.

he holds up the nail polish, "what am i supposed to do with this?" he questions, trying to hold back laughter bubbling in his throat.

richie yanks it from the other boy. "shit, that was for me. i forgot to take it out of the bag," he giggles softly.

"thank you rich, really. you didn't have to do all of this," eddie thanks him. his cheeks are burning as he stares up at richie.

the taller boy fills the space between them quickly with a kiss. one that makes richie want to crawl into the back of the car with eddie and fog up the windows.

he pulls away begrudgingly. "i have a question for you," he mumbles, turning his head the other way quickly. his curls flop into his face, hiding his blush.

"what's up?" eddie chirps, already digging into a bag of chips.

richie bounces his leg up and down. he fiddles with his fingers. "i want you to be my boyfriend-" the words fly out of his mouth.

eddie grows quiet. his face feels like it's on fire. the two boys stare at each other, each one afraid to move, each one waiting for a response. the brunette thinks over his words.

finally, and slowly, he exclaims, "well that's fucking obvious," richie's mouth curves upwards slowly, "richie, we're straight from mythology. you're a living god daring to love a human."

eddie was right, richie _was_ a living god. he smirks.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

eddie's keys fall from his hand the second he walks into his house. he falls to the floor, trying the best he can to collect himself.

blood stains his hands as he kneels down next to his mother's pale, cold body. the feeling of the cool, metallic liquid between his fingers makes him want to vomit.

he's screaming, _sobbing._ not necessarily over his mother, but over the boy he loves.

after finding out that henry bowers had been murdered at school today, eddie knew exactly who did it. it made his stomach drop and fingers tremble. he couldn't _be_ with someone who already killed off two people.

he would have to take things into his own hands, whether he wanted to or not.


	12. 11.

**TW: BLOOD,** **GORE, MURDER,** **MENTAL & PHYSICAL ABUSE**

❝ _it's been another year_  
 _wishing you were here_ ❞

"i know what you did," eddie hisses as he pulls richie behind a pillar at school.

richie's features soften. he glances around curiously. "i don't know what you're talking about?" his voice raises an octave as he speaks.

"you're _lying_ ," eddie spits, shoving his finger in richie's face, "i can tell."

the taller boy grabs his hand and places a kiss on the back of it. "what did i do?" he asks, batting his eyelashes slightly.

"you killed my fucking mom, dude," eddie growls, pulling his hand away violently.

richie's eyes flash with some foreign, unrecognizable emotion. he smirks down at eddie. "i told you, no one would hurt you again," he reminds the smaller boy.

the brunette steps a few feet away, but richie quickly fills the space between them.

"we're like bonnie and clyde, baby," the curly-haired boy nearly shouts, grinning madly. he pulls the other boy in for a forced kiss.

eddie wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "actually, we're not," he feels the need to correct the taller boy, "i'm not going to go around killing people with you."

richie's hands are still entwined tightly over eddie's neck. he pulls the smaller boy close to him. "but you could," he points out. he rubs his tongue over the top of his teeth.

"but i won't. you're fucking insane. you'll be lucky if i don't report you to the police," eddie growls. he pulls richie's hand off of him.

the raven-haired boy is fucking _laughing_. "and what are they going to do?" he's speaking between giggles, "kill me?"

"uh, _yeah_?" eddie holds in a chuckle.

richie's curls cascade messily down the sides of his pearly face. he flashes his teeth at the smaller boy. "i love you, you know," he reminds eddie. his features soften, he's looking at the brunette with warm eyes, even if they're hallowed and empty.

eddie bites down on his bottom lip until blood erupts into his mouth. the metallic liquid leaves a bad taste on his tongue. "you're insane," he's shaking his head.

richie grabs tightly onto the top of eddie's hair. he turns him around and slams him against the wall opposite of them. eddie reaches up to touch the back of his head, only for it to leave splashes of red on his hand. his ears are ringing. "you _love_ me," richie hisses.

"i love you," eddie repeats. he feels like he's floating. he leaves strawberry-colored marks on the wall as he slowly pulls away.

"light me on fucking fire, eddie," the taller boy is now placing his mouth ever so gently against the smaller boy's face. "promise me something, okay baby?"

eddie can barely think straight. his vision has gone completely fuzzy due to the sudden head trauma. he's swaying side to side and struggling to grab onto something to hold him up. his hands land on richie's shoulders.

"promise me you'll love me forever?" the taller boy is staring at him intently, his mocha-colored eyes scanning the smaller boy.

eddie blinks a few times in an attempt to refocus his eyesight. "promise?" he's confused. the words are barely registering in his foggy brain.

richie grabs onto eddie's hand roughly. something cuts deeply into his preexisting scar, and suddenly they're linking fingers.

"is no one in this town worried about hepatitis c?" eddie finally manages to form a sentence.

richie pulls his arm away. he's lighting a cigarette, letting the smoke float into the air and disappear into the unusually blue sky.

eddie's thoughts become even more jumbled due to the second-hand nicotine buzz. it causes his lungs to burn, he isn't sure he likes the feeling. richie brings the cancer stick to his lips anyway. suddenly he's inhaling, allowing his chest to burst into flames. he just wants to close his eyes.

∘₊✧──────✧₊

his ears are ringing. eddie sits up quickly and winces due to the sudden headache. he places a hand gently on the back of his head, wincing at the pain that results in the light touch. "what the fuck happened?" he whispers, struggling to adjust to the dimly-lit room.

richie sits across from him, a pen pressed against his lips. he pulls it away between two fingers. "you passed out on the ground at school, i took you here, my love," he's lying between his teeth.

eddie nods slowly. "what's going on?" a single light illuminates richie's nearly perfect features. he adjusts his glasses on his face.

"take your pick," richie motions towards the darkness. eddie squints into the void, finally making out three figures.

his jaw drops open. it's only then that he realizes his hands are tied tightly behind his back. he struggles against them with no avail. "who are those people?" he exclaims. his heart is pounding furiously in his chest.

"they don't deserve their lives, not after what they did to you," he says his words harmlessly. "we have your father, your ex girlfriend, and bill. you know bill, don't you?"

"richie, what the _fuck_ is going on," he's in disbelief. vomit rises in the back of his throat and he struggles to keep it down. must be the concussion.

richie flashes his teeth as laughter escapes from his lips. "we're like bonnie and clyde, remember?" richie tells the smaller boy. "take your pick."

"what the fuck is wrong with you. you're fucking _sick_ ," the smaller boy writhes against his handcuffs.

richie stands up and pushes each figure out of the darkness and into the light. each of them is gutted, their organs spilling out from holes in their body. blood drips down their sides and covers their clothes.

eddie vomits onto the floor.

"you never even had a choice."


	13. Chapter 13

**TW: MURDER, SELF-HARM, BLOOD, GORE, SMOKING, SUICIDE**

"you're done, richie," eddie is clutching his arms tightly around his ribs. his ears are still ringing as he attempts to stand up. saliva floods his mouth and he attempts to swallow the vomit that rises in his throat.

richie whips his head around, eyes almost glowing in the dim light. he's grinning, flashing his teeth that stand out against the splashes of red on his face. "oh baby, i'm just getting started," he growls in response. his hips swing as he walks towards his boyfriend.

he drags his knife against his thigh, resulting in an explosion of blood to drip slowly down his leg. corpses lay around him like matches in a box, and he is on _fire_.

eddie's hands tremble as they wrap around his torso. he's suffocating, choking on the air that enters his lungs as richie lights a cigarette.

he holds the stick between his fingers before bringing it to his lips. a charcoal-filled exhale hits the smaller boy in the face and sends him into a coughing fit. "you're going to die from that," eddie says between wheezes, shoving his inhaler between his teeth.

"i hope so," richie says, almost sadly. he feels a ping of guilt in his chest, or it could just be the cigarettes causing his heart to burn.

eddie gnaws on his bottom lip, peeling off the dead skin with his teeth. "you should turn yourself in," he suggests coldly.

richie chuckles, "to stay in a jail cell all my life? no thanks. i'd rather just kill myself." he's gripping on tightly to something behind his back. "besides, i can't live without _you_."

the words echo in eddie's second-hand nicotine brain. his breathing quickens, he feels like he needs to sit down.

"you need to step down," the brunette hisses.

the taller boy stares down at eddie. "from the throne? why do that when i'm already king?" he throws his hands in the air eccentrically.

eddie rolls his eyes. "i hate you," the words come out in a joking tone, so he's not sure if he means it.

"i love you, i love you so fucking much," richie is reaching his hand up to eddie's face, cupping it gently. his eyes are empty, but soft. he looks like a boy again, and it reminds the brunette of when they were friends.

dots of metallic liquid look like freckles across richie's face. he flashes his teeth. "but what am i without _you_?" the shorter boy asks. tears cloud his vision.

"you'll be okay, i promise," the raven-haired boy says between sniffles. he crushes his cigarette with the heal of his boot.

they stare at each other for a moment, eyes scanning blood-splattered faces before locking together. their lips collide, quickly, and it feels like the first time again. eddie can taste the cigarette smoke lingering on richie's tongue.

the smaller boy gasps as he pulls away. his heart is still pounding in his chest as it sinks to his stomach. "you have to go, don't you?" he whispers, their noses still touching.

"only if i go with you," richie mumbles back, reaching into eddie's coat pocket to pull out a gun.

the brunette's eyes widen. "how'd you know?"

"you're not slick," the taller boy chuckles, "you ready?"

eddie nods with glistening honey-brown eyes. he wipes his cheeks quickly. "i love you," he utters. the cold metal barrel is placed firmly against his forehead. he does the same to richie.

a countdown starts from richie's mouth. a gunshot echoes across the dark basement. the smaller boy falls to the ground.

richie lets out a sigh. "i love you too."

_**END.** _


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